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Academic Paper / Article

She and elections

Nazra for Feminist Studies (Nazra) released a report about mentoring* women candidates in the 2011-12 People’s Assembly Elections based on its observations of the electoral process and the experience of several women candidates.

Nazra reached these findings by supporting (16) women candidates for the People’s Assembly, either nominated on political party  lists or running as individual candidates, in eight governorates in Upper and Lower Egypt.

Nazra’s report, “She and Elections”, presents an overview of the general electoral climate and documents the experience of candidates in various phases of the elections, as well as the difficulties and challenges posed by the legal and political contexts.

Nazra for Feminist Studies will issue the final report after the conclusion of parliamentary elections, including elections for the Shura Council (Upper House of Parliament), which is still underway. Nazra will host a roundtable with successful women candidates, where they will discuss the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. The event will also witness the  screening of the documentary, “She and Elections,” which presents the women candidtes’  experiences of the elections.

Women, Revolution, Politics and Power

During the Arab uprisings, an unprecedented number of women took to the streets, paving the way for a more important role in politics. However, in the transitional period that follows, they now have to fight against their exclusion from the political arena.

The extent of their participation in the new political process, the author argues, will depend on three main factors: their contribution to the democratic culture established, the nature and role of political Islam, as well as gender representation in the news media. As her research in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Syria suggests, the fight to carry the women‘s newly found political status through the transitional period will blur the conflict lines between the „traditional-religious“ and the „urban-modern-non-religious“ blocs. Arab women are finding new forms of political participation, distinct from the Western models.

The Security Sector and Gender in West Africa: A survey of police, defence, justice and penal services in ECOWAS states

This report, published in English and French, aims to systematically document the status of gender integration in the security sectors in 14 Member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The report is designed to be a resource for people working in, or with, security sector institutions; for those interested in governance and development in West Africa; and for those involved in gender-related issues. It combines information gathered by in-country researchers, interviews, document analysis and desk research. Much of the data in this report has never before been published or compared across countries in the region.
The survey is guided by the following two questions: Are security sector institutions providing adequate response to the different security and justice needs of men, women, boys and girls? What steps have been taken to create internally equitable, representative and non-discriminatory institutions?
The report contains three main sections: an introduction, a summary and analysis of findings, and individual country profiles. The introduction provides background on the survey rationale, methodology and research challenges. The summary and analysis of findings offers a cross-country and cross-institution analysis of the survey findings, and includes a list of recommendations. The 14 extensive country profiles present easy-to-read yet detailed information structured by 101 indicators on national governance, police services, armed forces and gendarmerie, the justice system and penal services.

The political representation of women and ethnic minorities in established democracies

The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the persistent obstacles to women’s and ethnic minority representation in politics, and to examine conditions and strategies across various countries that appear to facilitate better political representation of these groups.

Are women really the “fairer” sex? Corruption and women in government

Numerous behavioral studies have found women to be more trust-worthy and public-spirited than men. These results suggest that women should be particularly effective in promoting honest government. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that the greater the representation of women in parliament, the lower the level of corruption. We find this association in a large cross-section of countries; the result is robust to a wide range of specifications.

To access the full article, please click here.  

Bridging the Gender Divide: How Technology Can Advance Women Economically

Technology defines our era. In the past few decades, numerous innovations—including ever-shrinking computers, mobile phones, and alternative energies—have been introduced in homes and workplaces, changing the way we live, how we work, and what we’re able to do. Bridging the Gender Divide: How Technology Can Advance Women Economically examines why technology is essential to women’s economic advancement and clarifies how it puts the process inmotion by showcasing technologies that have helped women in developing countries to ncrease their productivity, create new entrepreneurial ventures, or otherwise access new income-generating pursuits.

This paper builds on ICRW’s long-standing research and program work on the realities of what it takes to enable women to increase their resources and economic opportunities, and strengthen their ability to compete in market economies. Most important, it speaks to the growing number of actors driving innovation fromthe public, private, and social sectors with practical recommendations on how to improve the way technologies are developed and deployed so they benefit women and enable them to be more successful economic actors, stronger leaders, and greater contributors to their families, communities, and domestic economies.

- JOURNEE INTERNATIONALE DE LA DEMOCRATIE: LA RESPONSABILITE POLITIQUE : RENFORCEMENT DES LIENS ENTRE PARLEMENTS ET CITOYENS

La responsabilité politique des parlementaires constitue pour ainsi dire  l’une des exigences fondamentales de la démocratie Elle implique que les parlementaires, élus et représentants du peuple au sens d’expression du pacte social si cher à Rousseau, rendent compte de leurs actions à  la nation, entité collective et indivisible dont ils relèvent et vis-à-vis de laquelle ils sont responsables.

Integration of Women in Industrial Development

The history of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) towards the integration of women in its activities is described, from the International Women’s Year in 1975 to the present: the creation of a focal point for women in 1984 and a unit for the integration of women in industrial development in 1986, the unit’s range of activities, and its subsequent abolition as a consequence of UNIDO’s financial crises and restructuring; finally the situation in early 2009.

Gender in the Malestream – Acceptance of Women and Gender Equality in Different United Nations Organisations

The author outlines changing approaches to women’s issues and gender equality in the UN system both before and since the International Women’s Year in 1975 and describes how different UN organisations followed up the recommendations made by the large global women’s conferences.

Promoting the Status of Women in the UN System: Experiences from an Inside Journey

This article analyzes the efforts and strategies used to make UN institutions change in a woman-friendly way. It also includes lessons learned from the strategies used to advocate for stronger women's participation within the United Nations organizations.